His To Protect
by saxygal
Summary: His lips were soft and gentle against mine. He pulled back and stroked my cheek gently. "Never forget that I will always be here," he said softly. "Never forget that your are mine to protect." The tale of the secret romance of a Taiyoukai and his miko.
1. Chapter 1

**Yes, new story time! And I know that I have a bunch of other stories that need updating but...well, I've lost my flash drive. And that thing had all of them with the new chapters on them that I've been working on when creativity strikes me. So, I will be trying (hopefully) over the summer to rewrite those chapters and get them up. But for now, let's do this one!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha, plain and simple.**

**His to Protect**

I stumbled over another tree root as I made my way through the forest. The crescent moon above didn't give me much light, so I was tripping over anything and everything that I came across. I managed to catch myself on a tree branch to keep myself from falling face-first on the ground. Again.

I glanced up at the moon through a break in the canopy of tree branches above me and sighed. This would be the last night I would be able to make this journey for a few days. It made my heart heavy, but the break was necessary and only for a couple days. I swore quietly when I tripped again.

I stumbled along for another ten minutes before the trees broke and I was standing in a clearing. Off to the left there was a stream bubbling and flowing on its way to wherever it was going. The moon and stars shone down, lighting the clearing; I could see so much better here than in the forest. There was a lone tree in the middle of the clearing, tall and in full bloom. But I didn't care about it. I only cared about who was sitting at the base.

He sat the way he always did, one arm propped up on his knee, with his back against the tree. He wore only his hakamas, but his flowing silver hair covered his shoulders and part of his chest after being blown there by the gentle breeze. He was facing the stream, but his eyes were closed, his chest rising and falling steadily. The man was so still, he could've been asleep. I knew that he wasn't, but I still crept forward slowly and silently.

"You're late," he said, his deep voice making my heart thump hard in my chest. A small giggle escaped me as I walked forward to kneel next to him.

"You know I can't get away until everyone's asleep, and Inuyasha's testy right now," I said, a smile on my face. He sighed before turning molten amber eyes to me.

"You could not use the excuse of bathing?"

I laughed openly this time. "Yes, that would definitely work, _especially _when we're nowhere near a hot spring," I said, rolling my eyes at him.

A small chuckle rumbled through his chest and his eyes danced. Crossing his legs, he suddenly pulled me into his lap, making me yelp and laugh. His strong arms wrapped around me, holding me to his chest. I sighed and leaned my head against his shoulder, the small blue crescent mark at the place where my neck meets my shoulder pulsing in time with his heart.

"I have missed you, my miko," he whispered, burying his face in my hair.

"I've missed you too, Sesshomaru," I whispered back, smiling. I ran my finger over the pink arrow that covered the area just over his heart.

_~Flashback~_

_ "Why is it different?" Sesshomaru looked at me quizzically, raising a manicured eyebrow._

_ "Why is what different?" he asked._

_ "This," I said, tracing the mark on his bare chest. "I thought that they were supposed to match."_

_ Sesshomaru sighed and pulled me closer, his warm arm wrapping around my naked waist. He ran a claw over my moon, making me shudder slightly._

_ "This is your mate's mark," he explained, holding my gaze with his own._

_ "I know that, but why-"_

_ "In other words, it is the mark of your mate."_

_ I blinked, eyes wide. "So if the moon is your mark, then that means…."_

_ He nodded. "The arrow is yours. It signifies that I belong to you and only you, just as the moon shows that you are mine alone."_

_ ~End Flashback~_

I closed my eyes and smiled softly. I'm still not sure when I realized that my love for Inuyasha was that of a friend and that I was actually in love with the taiyoukai whose arms I rested in, but the important thing is that I did. And I was glad that I had since I was now happily mated.

The wind blew and a shiver ran down my body. Why did I wear a tank top and sweats to bed again? Or better yet, why did I walk through the forest without a jacket? I slipped my arms underneath Sesshomaru's so I could pull myself closer to him, both to stay warm and because I liked being close to him. I felt him shudder when my cold hands rested on his bare shoulder blades.

I barely felt him move his arms and the next thing I knew, I was being covered with something soft and warm. I opened my eyes and looked down as he wrapped his arms around me again to see that he had placed his fur over me.

"Thanks," I said. I stretched up to kiss his cheek. Sesshomaru obviously had other plans. He lifted his knees and slouched down slightly, lifting me up, and pressed his lips against mine. I sighed as my eyes slid closed. I wrapped my arms around his neck, tangling my fingers into his hair. One of his hands slid up to hold the back of my head, his claws knotting themselves into my hair, while the other wrapped tighter around my waist.

When Sesshomaru deepened the kiss, I shifted so that I was straddling his hips. His arms tightened around me as I moved, pulling me closer. I removed my arms from his neck and ran my hands down his chest, feeling his muscles. I worked my way down his stomach to his hips, sighing against his lips. My fingers latched onto the top of his hakamas and searched for the knot holding them in place.

Sesshomaru pulled back. "Kagome," he said, a warning in his voice. I ignored him and continued my searching.

I heard him sigh and then his hand was holding both of mine. He brought them back up to his neck, shaking his head. I pouted.

"Why'd you do that?" I whined, staring at him.

"Not tonight," he said simply. His gold eyes were soft with love and understanding, but his words were firm.

"But Sessh-"

"No."

I leaned back so that my back rested against his knees. I crossed my arms and halfway glared at him. "Why not?" I asked.

Sesshomaru sighed, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, his face was completely controlled, something he rarely did when we were alone. He reached up and untangled my arms, taking my hands in his.

"It's cold," he stated, running a finger over the goosebumps covering my arms.

I frowned. "So? You'd keep me warm and we have your mokomoko, I'd be fine. The cold is a poor excuse."

"It is still true. I will not have my mate falling ill when I am unable to care for her." I flushed at his words, but I knew he had a point.

"Still, it's never stopped either of us before," I said, watching as he ran his thumbs over the back of my hands.

"Hn," he hummed. He resituated me in his lap so that I was leaning against his chest again and recovered us. He tilted my face up so that his amber gaze was fixed on my face. I felt him take my necklace in his hand gently so he could run his fingers over it. "This will do us no good if Inuyasha were to walk in on us either. And you know as well as I that he is restless at this time."

I sighed. He was right, like always. My silver dog pendant may be infused with the power to disguise Sesshomaru's scent on me, but if Inuyasha were to wake up, realize I'm gone, and come searching for me…that would not be good. There was a reason why we kept our relationship a secret, and a good chunk of that reason was Inuyasha. If he were to find out before me and Sesshomaru thought he could handle it, there would be hell to pay.

I glanced up at the sky. The moon had risen high into the sky, the stars shining bright. I sighed and leaned in closer to Sesshomaru, my eyes sliding closed. I'd have to leave soon and I really didn't want to.

"You need to go," Sesshomaru said in his baritone, almost like he had read my mind.

I nodded slowly. "I don't want to though," I said sadly. I clung tighter to him, begging fate that for just tonight, everything would be perfect and I wouldn't have to go anywhere. Unfortunately, fate hates my guts.

"Kagome!" I sighed. Inuyasha was awake and searching for me. Crap.

Sesshomaru stood and set me on my feet. He kissed me gently before putting his haori, armor, and swords on. I stared at Bakusaiga and smiled. I remember everything about the day Sesshomaru got it; the fear I felt when I almost lost him, the relief when he was alright, and the awe and joy at the sight of him gaining his arm and sword. That night was also the night he took me as his mate, secretly of course.

"Kagome! Where the hell are you!" Inuyasha yelled, his voice closer. I sighed again and went over to Sesshomaru. I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"I'm going to miss you," I whispered.

"Hn." The taiyoukai returned my embrace. He lifted my face and stared at me before putting his lips against mine. They were soft and gentle against mine. He pulled back and stroked my cheek. "Kagome, promise me something."

"Anything," I said, probably too quickly.

"Never forget that I will always be here," he said. "Never forget that you are mine to protect."

I nodded and smiled. "I won't Sessh. Ever."

Sesshomaru smiled gently before recomposing his face. "I must go. I love you."

"I love you too." The moment the words left my mouth, he was gone. I sighed and turned around to head back to camp. I started walking and soon ran smack into Inuyasha.

"There you are! Where the hell have you been wench!" he growled, crossing his arms.

I narrowed my eyes and glared at him. "I couldn't sleep so I went for a walk. Got a problem with that?"

"Yes! Naraku could be anywhere! You'll get yourself killed, wench!"

"I can handle myself, thank you very much! And I thought I told you not to call me wench!"

Inuyasha scoffed. "Keh, get over it. And you're a danger magnet!"

I growled, my hands fisted at my sides. "I am not!"

"Are too! How many times has Naraku or Sesshomaru tried to kill you!"

I kept my face composed, not wanting him to see the irony over Sesshomaru trying to kill me. That was definitely not the case anymore. "What does that have to do with anything! I'm much stronger than I was!"

"I don't care!" Inuyasha retorted. "You're still a weak human!"

"Inuyasha, SIT!" I screeched. The hanyou yelped and smacked into the ground. "Sit, sit, sit, sit!" I made sure to put him in a deep hole, making him groan, before storming back towards camp and snuggling into my sleeping bag with Shippo.


	2. Chapter 2

**I love having chapters already written! Well, mostly. I finished this chappie yesterday ^.^**

**On a different not, HOLY CRAP! My inbox has been going beserk with all the faves and alerts! So thank you guys!  
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**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha, so no suing!  
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**Lawyers: *collective groan*  
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**His to Protect  
**

I was up and dressed early the next morning, just after sunrise. Sango and Miroku helped me to pack up camp while Inuyasha stood against a tree with his arms crossed, tapping his foot. He wanted to leave, and we all knew why. The new moon was tonight and he liked getting an early start so that we could cover as much ground as possible before sundown. But still, he could at least help do something.

Shippo hopped up onto my shoulder as I finished packing the bag. "Hey Mama!"

I reached up and mused his hair before standing. "Hey Shippo!" I slung my bag over my shoulder. "Ok, we're ready Inuyasha!"

"Finally," I thought I heard him grumble. He started walking forward. Sango and Miroku followed behind him, Kirara sitting on Sango's shoulder. I hung back to talk to Shippo.

"Mama, did you go see Papa last night?" the kit whispered in my ear, low enough for Inuyasha not to hear. I nodded.

Shippo and Rin knew that Sesshomaru and I were together. They were the only ones who knew. I had contemplated telling Sango, but hadn't yet. The only reason Shippo and Rin knew was because they were like our own children. Sesshomaru and I had agreed that they deserved to know and that they needed both parental figures. They also stayed silent about it, keeping the relationship between the four of us; our own little family as I saw it.

"When will I get to see them again?" Shippo asked. I sighed, not entirely sure.

"Well, it should be pre-"

"What the hell are you doing here, bastard!" Inuyasha yelled. I froze and stared at Sesshomaru, with Rin, Jaken, and Ah-Un in tow.

"Or now," I whispered to Shippo. Rin waved gently at me and I smiled. I shifted my eyes to Sesshomaru and raised an eyebrow. As happy as I was to see him so soon, I was curious as to why I was seeing him. He just stared back at me, silent.

"Oi! I asked you a question, bastard!" Inuyasha snapped, making Sesshomaru turn his eyes back to him. I clenched my hands into fists, wanting to sit the hanyou into oblivion.

"I propose an alliance, little brother. My pack joins yours until Naraku is defeated," Sesshomaru stated flatly. My eyes widened and I smiled wider. An alliance, huh? It was a perfect way for me to be close to Sesshomaru constantly without Inuyasha knowing about our mating. Plus, knowing that he'd be there for sure against Naraku was a big advantage.

Inuyasha growled. "Hell to the freakin' NO!" he yelled, unsheathing Tetsusaiga. "There is no damn way that we are going to-"

"I think it's a good idea." Inuyasha spun around and glared at me.

"WHAT!" he shouted. "What makes you think that joining forces with _him_ is a good idea!"

I sighed. "We need allies. Sesshomaru is strong and would be a beneficial addition to our group." _Not to mention I wanna be close to him,_ I added mentally.

Inuyasha glared at me. "Have you gone nuts!"

"Kagome's right, Inuyasha," Sango said. I sighed in relief. _Thank you Sango._

Miroku nodded. "I agree with the girls. We need help from a powerful ally. Who better to fill that position than Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Anyone! And we don't need his damn help!"

I sighed. "Inuyasha, sit boy!" Inuyasha crashed to the ground and I stomped up to him. I glared down at him, hands on my hips. "Look, we need help and you need to stop being so pigheaded! We're letting Sesshomaru join us and that's final." The subdued hanyou just groaned in response. I smirked and started walking again, winking at Sesshomaru. His lips twitched upward slightly and I grinned. Shippo smiled at him on my shoulder before hopping down to walk with Rin.

We started moving again, Inuyasha lagging behind and grumbling about the new alliance. Sango and Miroku were in front of him. Sesshomaru led our group and I walked a little ways behind him so we didn't raise suspicions, even though I wanted to be right next to him where I belonged.

"Mama, I'm hungry," Shippo said after a while. "Can we stop and rest for a while?"

"Sure thi-"

"No." I looked over my shoulder and glared at Inuyasha.

"Why not?"

"Because we don't have the time for you weaklings to sto-"

"We shall rest." Inuyasha and I both looked at Sesshomaru. Of course, I looked at him with gratitude while Inuyasha glared at him. The hanyou opened his mouth to speak, but Sesshomaru cut him off. "Your pack is made up of humans and young, do not forget that they need more nourishment than even you do, half-breed."

We stopped and I started fixing ramen while Inuyasha ran off to sulk somewhere. Miroku sighed quietly. "I better go calm him down," the monk said before following after Inuyasha. Sango left shortly after to check for any stray demons or for Naraku.

"You know, you could go easy on the half-breed comments," I told Sesshomaru after a while.

"I merely state what he is," the taiyoukai said simply, sitting against a tree. I sighed and walked over to him, sitting in his lap immediately.

"But it's insulting," I said. "Are you going to call our children that?"

He sighed and wrapped an arm around me. "No, I will not," he said. "They will be our pups and deserve to be called by name and status."

"And Inuyasha doesn't?"

"He is different."

I crossed my arms and glared at his stoic face. "How? Just because he's not your full brother doesn't mean he doesn't deserve the same respect that you show me, Shippo, or Rin," I scolded.

"I do not like him." I just rolled my eyes. There was more to it than that, but he wasn't going to admit it.

I sighed and leaned against him. "Just try to be a little more civil to him, alright?" I asked. "For my sake?"

He was silent for a while. "Hn." I smiled a little and relaxed against him; that was probably the best I was going to get, so I'd take it.

We sat that way for a while. I relaxed against him and traced random patterns on his armor and he occasionally rubbed my side slightly. My eyes were trained on Shippo and Rin for the most part, except for the occasional glance up at Sesshomaru's face. His eyes were closed, but I knew the rest of his senses were wide open and alert.

I felt him nudge me at some point. "Move," he commanded and I sighed. Someone was coming back and we'd be caught if I didn't. He stood from his lap and walked back to sit by the fire, making sure the ramen was still warm. I'd pulled it off earlier, but I didn't want it to get cold.

I glanced up and waved at Sango as she and Kirara landed. "Find anything?" I asked.

The slayer shook her head. "Other than a few stray demons wandering around, nothing," she said. "Naraku's being awfully quiet."

I nodded in agreement. "I know. He's planning something."

Sango nodded and opened her mouth to speak, but was stopped by Inuyasha's yapping coming from the treeline. "Hey, Kagome! Is it ready yet?" he asked, arms crossed as he and Miroku came back. He still looked pissed, but he did seem to have calmed down some.

I smiled and nodded. "Yep! Here ya go!" I handed him a bowl and he sat down, practically inhaling his food. I rolled my eyes before handing everyone else their food.

I stood and carried two bowls over to Sesshomaru, one for me and one for him. "Would you like something to eat, Lord Sesshomaru?" I asked, keeping up with formalities

Sesshomaru looked up at me, face expressionless though his golden eyes sparkled. "Hn," he hummed with a curt nod. He took the bowl and chopsticks from me and I smiled before going back to the group. I sat down and raised an eyebrow at Inuyasha, who was gaping at Sesshomaru.

"Close your mouth, brother," the taiyoukai said, eating mannerly.

"I don't take orders from you!" Inuyasha snapped and I sighed. "And since when do you eat _human_ food?"

"I eat what I please."

"Keh! You hate anything human except for her!" the hanyou snapped, pointing at Rin. My temple throbbed at that. It wasn't true, not that Inuyasha knew that, and I was sick of him picking fights.

"Sit boy!" Inuyasha yelped and smacked into the ground. I smirked and went back to eating, the rest of the meal passing in silence.


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of the day was uneventful really. Jaken was a loud mouthed idiot, Miroku was his classic hentai self, and Inuyasha was….well, Inuyasha. A normal day in the Feudal Era if you ask me.

Inuyasha yanked us off the path around an hour before sundown so that we could make camp someplace hidden. Sometimes I really worried about him on the new moon. Actually, it worried me period. Something seemed to always go wrong on his human night. Attacked by demons, trapped by a crazed sage, Naraku attacking. It was always something.

I got a fire going before the sun could set and started on dinner. I barely had the ramen fixed before the glowing orb finally sank below the horizon. Inuyasha sighed and I glanced over at him in time watch as his silvery hair turn black and the two silver triangles on his head vanish. He scowled and sat his empty bowl down. "I hate this damn night."

I just sighed quietly. None of us could do anything for him, except to stay up and guard him since he could be an idiot and try to fight when he was human.

We ate in silence and sat like that for a while. I shot an occasional glance at Sesshomaru to see how he was doing, but he gave nothing away as he sat against a tree. I sighed again and stood.

"Where are you going?" Inuyasha asked with a frown.

"There's a hot spring near here and I need to bathe."

"Keh."

Sango stood and stretched. "I'll come with you," she said. I nodded and grabbed my bag of bathing supplies. We started to leave when I felt someone tug on my sleeve.

"Can I come with you?" Rin asked, looking cute as always.

I smiled and nodded. "As long as it's ok with Lord Sesshomaru," I said, glancing up at him. I knew he didn't care, but appearances mattered.

"Hn." Rin squealed and hugged his leg before taking my hand. I smiled and we headed off for the spring.

The spring wasn't too far off, but far enough that a certain hentai monk couldn't see us without us knowing about it. We stripped and slipped into the water. I sighed as the hot water relaxed my tensed up muscles. _I'd kill for one of Sessh's massages right now,_ I thought, closing my eyes.

"Kagome." I opened my eyes and looked over at Sango, who had a worried look in her eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Is everything alright?"

I blinked. "Yeah, everything's fine," I said, glancing briefly at Rin. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Sango frowned a little. "You've just been acting…..I don't know….distant, recently," she said. I sighed softly. She would have noticed that I was acting different; she was practically my sister after all.

I sat up a little and Rin glanced at me curiously. I nodded and smiled at her and she grinned broadly. Sango raised an eyebrow at me and I sighed softly.

"Sango, there's something I need to tell you, but no one else hears about it," I told her and she nodded, waiting for me to continue. I took a deep breath before I spoke again. "I mated Sesshomaru," I said, the words rushing out of my mouth and running together.

Sango blinked. "You…what?" she asked slowly. "I didn't catch that."

I sighed softly. "I mated Sesshomaru," I repeated, speaking slower this time. Sango blinked again and I waited for her reaction, preparing myself for the questions and lecture about how he wasn't the ideal person for me. Her excited squeal was very unexpected.

"Kagome!" she cried and hugged me tightly. "That's so exciting!" I grinned and hugged her back.

"Thanks Sango!"

The demon slayer pulled back and looked at me curiously. "But, I don't understand it," she said. "I mean, Sesshomaru? What about Inuyasha?" I sighed and looked up at her.

"I love Sesshomaru, Sango."

"But Inuyasha-"

"Has hurt me too many times in the past," I said. "Yes, I did love him, but it took me a while to see that what I wanted with him wasn't possible. And that every time we crossed paths with Sessh I'd think about him for days afterwards."

Sango smiled and hugged me tightly. "You've been in love with Sesshomaru all along," she said and I nodded.

"Yeah."

Rin grinned and climbed into my lap. "And now she's my Mama!" she cheered and I laughed, hugging her.

"Yes I am," I said with a smile. I sighed before looking back at Sango. "Sango, you can't tell anyone about this or act like you know when everyone's around," I told her and she blinked.

"Why not? Kagome, this is something incredible!" she said.

"I know, but it's a secret and has been for about three months now."

Sango's eyes widened. "You've been hiding this for that long? _Why?_"

I sighed quietly. "Inuyasha," I said simply and she nodded.

"But how?" she asked after a moment. "And aren't you supposed to have some kind of visible mark?"

I smirked and wiped the concealer of my shoulder to reveal the blue crescent. "I use a concealer from my time to hide it," I explained. "It takes a lot to get it off and it blends with my skin tone."

Sango nodded and her brow furrowed slightly. "But what about the scent? There's no way Inuyasha missed that," she said.

"This," I said lifting the necklace gently. "It holds a charm that Sessh found that hides any trace of his scent on me."

"I helped him!" Rin said and I laughed.

"And you did a wonderful job, Rin," I praised and she beamed.

Sango smiled and grinned. "You did a very good job," she said before looking at me again. "I do have one more question though."

"Shoot."

"What led up to this?" she asked. "I want the whole story, beginning to end."

I smirked and sat up straighter. "Get comfortable, Sango. It's a long story," I said and she nodded, shifting in the water to get comfortable. "It all started when Inuyasha got Tetsusaiga…"

**And there's chapter 3! So, the next chapter (or chapters, who knows) will be a mix of flashbacks and conversation.**

**Anywho, you know what to do! Just push the little blue button. Down there. Says "Review". Come on, ya know ya wanna press it! :D  
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	4. Chapter 4

**I'm back! So, Sango gets a little bit of background info on everything, but not everything! I'm not spilling everything at one time ;)**

_ I screamed and dodged out of the way of a swipe from the large ogre, landing hard on the ground. I heard Inuyasha growl. "Bastard! Let her go!" he snapped and I internally huffed. Of course he wasn't worried about me being swiped at, but then I couldn't blame him. His mother was in danger after all._

_ I pushed myself up and stared at the ogre, my eyes traveling up to stare at the demon who was Inuyasha's brother. Well, half-brother. Inuyasha would kill me if he heard me call him his brother; if we came out of this alive anyway. I stared at him, scared and slightly awed. He was….beautiful and terrifying at the same time. His silver hair was the same shade as Inuyasha's, but it was less ragged and straighter, spilling freely down his back. His markings were majestic and his eyes a stunning gold. But it was the bored expression, the cold look in his eyes, and the dominating posture that scared me. Well, that and the fact that he was using an ogre to try to kill us and was threatening to harm an innocent woman who'd done nothing to him._

_ He slashed the ogre with that weird whip thing of his again and it staggered forward, dropping Inuyasha's mother in the process. He managed to catch her, but not before the ogre managed to slash me and I blacked out on the ground. When I came too, the taiyoukai and ogre were gone and I could see Inuyasha talking to his mother. Except, something was wrong. Multiple things were wrong. I couldn't move or speak at all. I glanced up and my eye's widened. Looking straight at Inuyasha's mother, she looked normal. But her reflection…..It didn't have a face! That fact bothered me extremely and I tried to call to Inuyasha, but of course I couldn't speak a word._

"Hold on, Sesshomaru was using a gollum?" Sango asked and I blinked.

"A gollum?" I asked, confused.

"Yeah, a gollum. They're faceless demons that are created in the form of a specific person or creature to weaken a person who was close to whatever it was impersonating," she explained and I nodded.

"Oh, ok. Then yeah, he was."

"But…Why?"

I bit my lip, thinking. "Well, I think it was because he needed to know where Tetsusaiga was and he thought Inuyasha knew," I explained. "Which was true, Inuyasha did know unconsciously."

Sango raised an eyebrow. "You don't know why?" she asked and I shrugged.

"It's not something we talk about a lot," I said simply.

"Tell her about Papa turning into a dog!" Rin told me and I laughed.

"I will, I'm getting there," I said, setting the girl in my lap. Rin huffed quietly and Sango laughed.

"Alright, sorry. Continue, Kagome," she said and I nodded.

"Well, the gollum worked and Sesshomaru took the black pearl, you know that part, right?" I asked and she nodded.

"I remember us talking about it back when we were looking for Hoshinki."

I nodded. "Ok, then I can skip that part," I said and bit my lip, thinking back. "Ok, so after we got into the tomb….."

_I screamed as bones flew around me from the fight, staggering around and out of the way. "Lord Inuyasha! You must retrieve the Tetsusaiga!" Myoga shouted from my shoulder._

_ "Shaddup!" the hanyou snapped, dodging a blow from Sesshomaru's poisonous claws. He jumped and dodged his way over to the rusty blade and grabbed it._

_ "What!?" I heard Sesshomaru's imp yell. "How can he touch the sword when my esteemed lord could not!?"_

_ Inuyasha yanked on the sword, but it didn't budge and he was thrown back. "Damn it!"_

_ I watched Sesshomaru as Inuyasha staggered to his feet. He scared me, the way he just stood there with that bored look. I almost preferred him to be yelling and screaming like Inuyasha was. I squeaked as he lunged forward at Inuyasha. "Watch out!" I shouted as Inuyasha dodged._

_ "Stay out of it, wench!"_

_ "My name is Kagome—AH!" I screamed as more bones flew at me as the demons fought. I staggered and fell backwards, tripping over the skulls littering the ground. My foot caught on the pedestal and I fell towards the ground. I reached out instinctively to catch myself. My hand locked around something, but it gave way and I landed on my rear. I groaned and used the thing in my hand to stand up, rubbing my butt. I paused when it was silent and looked up to see every demon staring at me. Ok, Sesshomaru stared, everyone else gaped. "What?" I asked and glanced at my hand. I squeaked at the sight of the sword. "Oh…hehehe," I laughed nervously._

_ Suddenly Sesshomaru was in front of me and I squeaked, taking a step back. "How did a mere human remove the sword forged from the fang of a demon?" he asked and I blinked. That was the most I'd heard him say._

_ "Oi! I loosened it bastard!" Inuyasha snapped and I glared at him._

_ "Shut up, Inuyasha!" I snapped, pointing the rusty sword at him. "You did nothing but get thrown back by it!"_

_ "Humans are such emotional creatures," Sesshomaru said and I blinked, looking up at him. "And naive. You both fail to realize what has happened," he stated, eyes closed. He looked up at Inuyasha. "It came out for her because you fight for her. Protect her. Love her."_

_ Inuyasha gaped. "WHAT!?" he snapped. "I do not love her!"_

Sango busted out laughing and I stared at her. "What?"

She held her sides and looked up. "I-I'm sorry!" she laughed. "But i-it's just funny that h-he picked up on h-how In-Inuyasha acts!"

I smiled. "He's observant," I said. I waited for her to calm down some. "Can I finish now?"

"Yeah, sorry."

"It's ok," I said. "Ok, so….well, after that Sesshomaru….Well, he almost killed me."

Sango gaped at me. "What!?"

"He wanted the sword," I explained. "At the time that was all he wanted, he didn't care about anything else. So he melted the bones and rocks above me and made them collapse on me."

Sango opened and closed her mouth, looking like a fish. "How are you still alive? And how are you telling me this so calmly?" she asked, clearly stunned.

I shrugged. "Tetsusaiga protected me," I said simply. "And I'm calm about it because it's in the past. Sesshomaru's changed," I defended. I'd defend him any day.

"I know, but Kagome, that's still-"

"Sango, drop it," I ordered sternly. I took a deep breath and sighed, my eyes closing.

"Sorry," Sango mumbled and I could feel Rin's worried gaze on me.

I sighed and opened my eyes again. "It's fine," I said with a smile. I suddenly felt a pull inside me, a feeling I style wasn't used to after three months. The pull that let me know Sesshomaru was near and wanted to be alone for a while. I glanced at Rin and smiled a little as the girl yawned and her eyes drooped.

"Sango?" I asked and she looked up at me. "Can you take Rin back so she can get to bed?" I asked and she nodded with a smile.

"Of course Kagome," she said and stood from the water.

Rin pouted. "But Mama!" she whined and I shook my head.

"Rin, you know how important sleep is. Go with Sango, I'll be back in a little bit. I just want some time to think and meditate." Ok, not really, but they went along with it since I did that a lot and meditation helped me to control my miko powers.

Rin swam over and hugged me tightly before swimming back to Sango. The demon slayer helped her out of the spring before getting out herself and drying them. She helped Rin tie her obi before they waved and walked back towards camp.

I smiled and sighed, closing my eyes and relaxing in the warm water. It was quiet for a while, just the chirping of crickets to keep me company. I didn't even jump at the feeling of warm, familiar hands on my shoulders or soft lips on my neck. I knew them well already and he never made noise when he moved. And my mark told me that it was him, that he was next to me. I sighed softly and leaned back against his chest.

"Alone at last," he whispered softly.

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